From the moment I met my husband, I knew he was meant for law enforcement. We met while bartending together back in Wisconsin. I was aware that he had applied for the Border Patrol over the telephone, but at the time we weren’t dating so I didn’t give it much thought. Some time had passed and our friendship turned into something more... that New Year’s Eve he asked me “If I get hired with the Border Patrol, would you like to move with me?” I said “Sure! Why not?!”

Now of course, champagne was involved in the evening and I honestly didn’t think much more of the question. As the winter turned to spring he started to get pretty down on himself, the Patrol wasn’t calling him and he didn’t know what to do with his future. I encouraged him to apply for local police dept. if anything to get his mind off of the waiting. After a few interviews with the P.D. in my home town, he didn’t have a good feeling with his performance and thought this was another dead end. The very next morning, his cell phone rang, I could hear him in the other room and by the tone of his voice, it was someone important. He hung up the phone, came in the bedroom and asked excitedly “Do you want to move to Yuma or Douglas?” and I immediately thought “OH CRUD!” or something a bit more PG rated....

We researched a bit and found Yuma to our liking. We flew down June 24th, 2000 to check out the town. Unfortunately, I came down with strep throat that weekend and spent most of the time fighting illness in our hotel room. The morning of June 26th, He EOD’d and I flew back home to pack up our belongings and make plans for the biggest move of my life. I had spent my entire life in the city where I was born and for the last few years there I worked for my parents along with my brother... you could say I was VERY close to my family.

With my agent in training gone, I kept myself very busy working my two jobs. Most of the money was spent going to Charleston once a month to visit. We have great memories from Charleston, and it helped both of us deal with the stress of the situation at hand. On November 4th, 2000 he graduated from the academy while I, along with his family watched him get his badge, all of us brimming with pride.

The next couple weeks were stressful to say the least. No matter how much you think you’ve packed and prepared... you’ve never done enough. Once our rented trailer was full (WAY over capacity might I add) we said our goodbyes to dear friends and family in a combination going away party and 25th birthday party for myself. The next night we set off for our cross country adventure and I will admit that I cried big fat salty tears when we crossed the Wisconsin border. When we arrived at our new apartment, a classmate had our key waiting for us and he helped us move all of our belongings into our new home even though it was 11pm. That first night I knew we had some good people on our side here in Yuma, willing to do whatever it took to help us out when we needed it.

Fast forward to present day, I can’t say I could imagine our lives any other way. It’s been five years and 4 days since I first saw Yuma, AZ. and I’m pretty happy with the outcome. We are married now with 2 children, a boy and a girl, whom I’m able to stay home with. There were times during that first year that I HATED being far from home, I did so much as demand we move, no matter what kind of jobs had to be taken.

After my hormonal rages subsided, we bought our first house and things seemed to fall into place. My husband became a member of BORSTAR and enjoys all of the challenges and rewards the job has brought with it. Yuma has come to feel like home to me. People ask if it’s hard being away from family, yes - that part I hate. What’s it like being married to a Border Patrol Agent? Well luckily I’ve never known anything else.

As long as I’ve been married it has been to a BPA and as long as I’ve had kids, I’ve never had help from family. I wouldn’t have my life be any different, I’m proud beyond words that I am the wife of a U.S. Border Patrol Agent.

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